Losing weight and toning up - fitness DVD, leisure centre classes and swimming

[JeanSeberg]

I want to lose weight in general and specifically on my stomach, thighs and upper arms.

Can you recommend a good DVD that I can do at home that's not complicated and doesn't require any specialist equipment?

Also, which classes would you recommend I attend at my local leisure centre? Will swimming a couple of times a week also help?

I'm 46 and want to lose 2 dress sizes (currently size 14). I know this will take time but if I can start to some results quickly, however small, that would be even better!

Hello Jean

I find Jillian Michaels is easy to get to grips. 30 day shred is a good one to start with and the only equpiment you would need is hand weights (you can pick up cheaply at Argos or try Freecycle). It's 20 mins and is a mix of cardio, strenght and abs work so should be good for all those areas you mention. You should notice a difference fairly quickly, but it is hard work to start with. You can find it on youtube if you want to have a look to see if it's for you and there are loads of devotees on here if you wanted to join a thread for support.

I don't have the time/inclination/money for the gym so can't help you there, but would think that anything you do is going to help.

Good luck.

Hi

I decided to make a new year resolution in January as I was more than a stone overweight and never did any exercise. I have been using a combination of making an effort to walk more, cycling (I have gone from being a novice who could barely take my hands off the handle-bars to make hand signals, to being able to do 40 miles in a morning!) and also using you tube videos.

I found Leslie Sansone's power walking videos a nice easy introduction as are the ones on JessicaSmithTV. Jillian Michaels is a bit too full on for me and I wanted something not too intimidating that I can stick to long term.

Our office enrolled us in the Workplace Challenge which I found good because it allows me to record what activity I have done and stops me slacking off.The competition part has ended now but I keep up the logging for my own interest.

Last week I had to go out and buy some size 8 jeans for the first time since my 20s. I am 48 now.

HTH and good luck.

That's great, thanks very much both.

I'm going to do a mixture of Youtube videos at home and a couple of classes at the leisure centre - step and spinning probably, although I'm interested to know what the things like Body Conditioning are.

I'm going on holiday in a month so it would be good to feel like I've made some progress by then. Then medium-term I have a formal dinner to go to in November and have some great size 12 dresses that I want to get on.

Hopefully that's a realistic goal. (Weightwise I've no idea what I need to lose as I've not weighed myself for years, will be happy to just not feel sick when I look at myself in the mirror lol.)

Have you also made significant changes to your diet?